United States soccer coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been to Colorado before. The German legend skied in Vail a couple of times and loved it. This weekend he is back, without ski poles, for something more important to him.

He is greeting his team, which arrives for Friday's World Cup qualifier at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City with home-field ramifications that dwarf anything the Broncos experience down the road. The 8 p.m. game against Costa Rica (0-0-1) is the U.S. team's chance to even its record after a 2-1 loss at Honduras on Feb. 6.

"Home-field advantage in the World Cup qualifying is huge," Klinsmann said in a phone interview. "Every home game is a must-win situation. I feel very confident that Denver will give us that edge."

How big are home games in World Cup qualifying? Consider:

• Since 1985, the U.S. has lost only one World Cup qualifier at home: to Honduras in 2001. The U.S. has qualified for all six World Cups since 1990.

• The top four teams in the Americans' CONCACAF region lost only two of 36 home games in 2010. Honduras lost to the U.S., and Costa Rica lost to Mexico.

• The U.S. is the only team in CONCACAF this year that plays three of its first four games on the road.

Friday's game is not going to determine the U.S. team's fate. It's Game 2 of 10, and the top three of the six-nation CONCACAF qualify for next year's World Cup in Brazil. The fourth-place team plays New Zealand, the Oceania winner, for another berth.

The U.S. would need a fall worse than a stock market collapse not to qualify. However, a loss to Costa Rica would send an 0-2 U.S. team March 26 to Mexico City, where it has won only once in history, and then June 7 to Jamaica, which tied Mexico in its first game.

It's an uphill climb Klinsmann last experienced on a chair lift in Vail. And it won't bode well for a deep run in Brazil for a U.S. team that has not gone past the World Cup quarterfinals since 1930.

The good news? The game at 19,000-seat Dick's Sporting Goods Park (1,776 seats have been added) sold out in an hour. Four sections will be taken up by the American Outlaws, the U.S. national team's version of ultras (dedicated fans).

"This venue gives us a feel that the crowd will be excited, very pumped up and very energetic and will push us to those three points," Klinsmann said.

Most of the U.S. team arrives Sunday (Costa Rica arrives Monday), leaving plenty of time to adjust to the altitude. That's in sharp contrast to the game at Honduras, where many players jetted in from Europe just in time to swelter in 84 degrees and 80 percent humidity.

He will announce his roster Monday, and that will have a bigger effect than the altitude. The U.S. will be young. Injuries to goalkeeper Tim Howard (back) and two-time World Cup participant Steve Cerundolo (knee), the ineffectiveness of captain Carlos Bocanegro (hasn't played with his 19th-place, second-division Racing Santander team in Spain since Feb. 5) and, well, the extended Ricky Williamsish hiatus of all-time scoring and assist leader Landon Donovan (self-imposed break and may not be taken to Brazil) force Klinsmann to push youth into the pressure cooker.

The biggest loss is Howard. The 34-year-old Everton regular has played in every major U.S. game the past four years and is in his 11th year in England's Premiership. He's out four to six weeks after breaking two bones in his back in an FA Cup match against Oldham on Feb. 26.

In his place comes Brad Guzan, 28, another Premiership star with Aston Villa who has played 20 games for the U.S., including five World Cup qualifiers in which he's 3-1-1.

"We have 100 percent faith in Brad," Klinsmann said. "Obviously it's a bummer for Timmy and everybody not having him, but for him the most important thing is to get healthy and get that issue out of his system. Brad is in very good form. He is very experienced already."

Team USA will work out at the University of Denver on Monday at 11 a.m. The practice is closed to the public.

What: World Cup qualifier, Game 2 of 10 round-robin games among six CONCACAF teams

When: 8 p.m. Friday

Where: Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City

Tickets: Sold out. TV: ESPN

Public appearances: Pep rally at Paramount Theater at 8 p.m. Thursday, featuring coach Jurgen Klinsmann and select players, videos, music and special presentations. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. Entrance is free.

Pregame activities: Tailgate party with three Denver chefs who will serve food starting at 5:30 p.m. A limited number of tickets are still available at TicketHorse (866-461-6556, 303-53HORSE).